January 30, 2017

Valle de los Gigantes

A short drive from the coastal town of San Felipe lies the Valley of the Giants. Which is home to the cardón cacti, the tallest growing cactus in the world. Often mistaken as saguaros, these cacti have a life span of up to 300 years and can grown as tall as 70 feet.

From San Felipe, you head south on highway 5 until you reach Punta Estrella near KM 14 you'll spot the turnoff for the Valle de los Gigantes on the right. The cost is $10 US per car to enter the park.

If visiting without a 4x4 vehicle much of the forest will be inaccessible. Though, it's still well worth the trip to see these giants. Fortunately, we were equipped with 4WD and we had full access. The cacti are mighty impressive and the ocotillo are also the largest I've seen. Palo verde also dot the beautiful desert landscape.